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July 17,- 1923- 1461 793 H. B. BOHR SHOE Filed Feb. 1l, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheen4 1 July 17, 1923- l`,46l.793

H. B. BoHR SHOE Filed Feb. 11. 1921 s sheetls-shet 2 )4 Mig. 9W

y @MLM/121W July 17, 1923- H. B. BOHR SHOE Filed Feb. 11 1921 s sheets-snee;

0.5 (Alf/5 WWAMGUS Patented July 17, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.HENRY B. BGHR, F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JULIAN & KOKENGE COM- PANY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SHOE.

Application led February 11, 1921.

To @ZZ wlzfomy it may cci/noem;

Be it known that I, HENRY B. Bonn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the drawings forming part of this specification.

My invention relates toshoes having the function of assisting the natural or physio-- logical action of the human foot.

lVithout in detail describing the anatomical structure of the human foot, it may be noted that it is a resilient structure of bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and fleshy pads, which support the human body and provide for the locomotion thereof in connection with the leg and its muscles.

The heel bone or os calcis receives the chief weight of the body, and is` protected by a pad of fleshy nature. and hard tough skin. The toes and their bones called the phalanges, are employed in bodily locomotion, these bones being connected to a series of bones called the metatarsal bones, one for each phalanx.

The metatarsal bones are somewhat arched in a transverse direction of the foot, and part of the weight of the body is borne by these bones, with the points of contact being substantially on the bones at the inner and outer sides of the foot; one from the great toe and one from the little toe. Pads of flesh protect these points of Contact.

Between the metat-arsal bones and the heel are a series of bones forming a long arch longitudinally of the foot. At the inside of the foot, this structure slopes up sharply in a further arch, and the astralagus bone serves as the connection from the lower bone of the leg (tibia) to the bones of the foot.

The ligaments, muscles, and fleshy struc ture of the foot serve to make of the arched bone foundation a resilient padded base for the body with flexible toes, and a joint for the entire structure at the ankle.

It may be seen from this non-technical de* scription, that the weakness of the foot is likely to take place at the arched portions and the interconnecting ligaments and it is Serial No. 444,242.

the object of my invention to provide a shoe which closely follows the arched formation of the foot, so as to provide a brace for this portion thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide for this support by building up a metallic structure on the outer sole of the shoe and a resilient structure between this metallic portion and the inner sole of the shoe, this resilient structure being such as to lit the base of a natural human foot from the metatarsals to the back of the heel or calcis bone. i

Another object of my invention is to form within the shoe a metatarsal as well as a longitudinal arch, `this longitudinal arch haring the transverse components of the normal long arch of the foot.

Generally speaking, I desire that the conformation of the outer sole be substantially that of the inside of the inner sole, although this is not essential, and I form my shoe over a last which is substantially conformed at thebase to correspond to the base of a normal human foot.

Accordingly, as it will be pointed out, I provide a shoe which while following the true external conformation of the human foot, and bracing the foot at the arch with a metallic member, still provides a tread base for the foot which is perceptibly resilient, and permits the muscular structure of the foot to perform its normal function, giving the body a resilient support.

Furthermore, as will be noted, I may maire my shoe with a heel of the height which will litt the heel bone to the natural position of the relaxed human foot. If one lifts the leg and permits the foot to droop naturally with all muscles relaxed, it will assume a position with the heel well elevated. This droopingor relaxed position of the foot, in my novel shoes may be maintained by lift ing the heel to the height required to bring this result.

The various objects above noted, I accomplish by that certain construction andarrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, c. Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe made in accordance with my invention, the sole parts being shown in central longitudinal section.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View oi e Welt shoe inupnocess-.oi' iconstruotion zicconding .to my invention.

Figure 3 is a section on the line ,5t-3 of I4" ure l.4

Figure 4L is a View similar to Figure 2 with the metal shank piece and filler not yet attached.

Figure 5 is a perspective vien7 of one torni of metal shank piece employed in my invention.

Figure @6 Vis a like vieu oiE `the* preferred form fof resilient clement.

showing indotted linesthe `bony structure of.

the foot.

I am aware that is not novel yto-insert a metal shank piece in the arch portions of a shoe, and that it is old to employ a last in mak-ing shoes `which conforms at the .base with the structure or' the lfoot. But lto my mind each tof fthese 'oldi systems of manufacture has :resulted-in a failureto. fully provide for 'feet support and comfort, since, so tar as I am advised, no onehas provided a combination metal shank shoe, strongly sup ported bythe she-nk, and yetmade on a lust whichr respondslto the'exact shape of the arch portions ofithe human foot. My invention not onl provides for such a. combination, but it' a sogi-vesa resilient tread buse iforthe feet. v

Relierrin firstto lFigures 7 and 8, it l.will be noted without particulardescription that Figure 7 shows `thereon the various essen tiul bones oit the human foot, the view being taken `fronrthe bottom of the foot. Figure 8 shows elast l, having" a toe 2, and heel 2n. These two `portions of the last will be subject to change dependent upon the style shoe which it is desired to produce, At the shank 3', thelastis curved longitudinally7 andtransversely to rcorrespond to the base of the human foot, and at the forward end of the shank, as shown at 4f, the portions between the shank and toe are likewise formed to correifspondA with the metatarsal `foot structure.

vIrrmaking'up my shoe, -I `plnce the insole on the last, (the process illustrated beingthe Welt process) and then cement'thereto a heel seat 6,101i resilient nature, such es a piece oi rubber, cuttoconform to the heel of the insole. I `then vpull over and secure the upper 7, and by the usual process of inseaniing, secure the Welts'B, and the upper to the insole lip 9.

ol' the foot to the upper at the heel. This y piece is cemented down in, ,place .and formed with the central portions thereo' thicker than the edges, this being so arranged because of the transversely arched shape of the metal shank piece.

Preferebl-yafn the piece l0 is placed on A.he insole, the cork-like filling l2 is placed between the raised portions of .the insole caused bythe lip, with 'the welt and upper stitched: thereto, and .then 'the metal shnnk piece 13 is laid over #the rubber or other resilient piece l0, and preferably tacked thereto.

This metal shank 1,3 .isr rigid and substantially'nonmesilient und is formed fin` an arch longitudinally and transversely, this being the strongest possible construction. Il: extends preferably `for Athe full width lof the piece and from the point just 'behind the metatarsal tread portions4 of the foot, to the `middle of :the heel.

The .construction of Vthe shoe `is; 4then `com pleted as Ain Athe ordinary Welt` shoefproeess, with the result of bringing :the insole up against thebeseofthe lest,and con omning it .exactly thereto, andllbringing the sole of the shoe firmly `:over the assembled por tions on the last.

The shape ofthe outer sole will begeverned by the shape of material pinned` be-` tween `the last and .said outersole, with Jihe metal shank piece. `serving `as 'the feature.

Thus to `change the shape, Vof `the outer sole, the metal shank piece may `,be maderwp in the desired? shape for ithe shrunkY portions of the sole, .the filler piece itil-.shaped te fill the space between the shank piece and` shank ofthe last, aindltheouter-sole formed to the last asinlthe usuel Welt 'shine process.

In providingn iheel for the shoe, I prefer to provide a heelf 14, which .will result in a natural lrela'xed position of the feet, although thisv is not et ell-.essentialhte 'the advantageous nature of my invention. ,As noted, this relaxedf `position of Ithe ffnet is that which vthe foot Will'snaaturallytahe when elevated from the ground, with thewnom'mal muscular `structure l.entirely relwxed `pelnmittingfthetoe to fell.

It is not neeesseny to describe in .detail the-conformation of the shoe von. Lthe iinside, since "this cenormswto the shepeo the `luist and of fthe normal `humren foot. Ans Mto the outer sole, among other `things it will normally take a curved line fthrougheut `the shank, both transversely and longitudinally, and at the ball or metutarsal portion of the foot will. present a curve extending forlll) wardly at the inside of the foot, but, of course, without any depression at the metatarsal arch. This curve presents to the eye a much superior appearance to the toe portion of the ordinary shoe of today.

So long as the shaping to the shank and metatarsal portions are maintained for the shoe, the toe formation may be varied to suit the fashions, without substantially affecting the re-action on the foot, provided suiiicient toe room is left, since instead of a few bones supporting` the foot, the pressure outside of the heel is taken by substantially all of the bones.

The effect of the rubber at the heel is to take the place of the unsightly rubber heels, while preserving in the main all of their advantageous functions. The effect of the rubber throughout the shank portions of the foot, and as a ller between the last and the sole at the inetatarsal portions, is to provide a natural cushion for the foot. which does away with the rigid feeling of a stiff metal shank, and eliminates the blow against the bones and muscular structure, which would be otherwise imparted during use by the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a shoe, an insole shaped to provide a support for the structure of the foot intermediate the normal tread portions thereof, an outsole, and a filler between the outsole and the insole having a non-resilient metallic portion, and a resilient portion lying between the outsole and the insole.

2. In a shoe, an insole shaped to provide a support for the structure of the foot intermediate the normal tread portions thereof. an outsole, and a filler between the outsole and the insole having a non-resilient metallic portion, and a resilient portion, both lying' between the insole and the outsole, and the resilient portion lying at least in part between the metallic portion and the insole to serve as a cushioning pad for the said metallic portion.

HENRY B. BOHR. 

